


It's just an app.

by lovewillcomeandfindme



Series: Fleet Week 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bato adopts Toph, M/M, Morning After, Single Parents, Tinder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25670380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovewillcomeandfindme/pseuds/lovewillcomeandfindme
Summary: Hakoda hadn't been on a date in years.Six years.But that was okay, because maybe he could figure this online dating thing out, if only everyone would stop laughing at him.
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Avatar)
Series: Fleet Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861360
Comments: 10
Kudos: 135
Collections: Bakoda Fleet Week 2020





	It's just an app.

**Author's Note:**

> there will be smut. i just can't finish it rn and spent so much time on it that i had to take a break. bonus chapter.

The shop was loud. 

It was always loud, but some days it drove him insane. Today was most definitely one of those days, as the younger guys sat around, making jokes at mostly his expense. It was fair, but what the hell did he pay these kids for, because at the moment, Hakoda was underneath a fucking Honda while Haru and June were sitting around laughing at him because he was showing his age. 

Apparently he was ‘old’. 

Rude.

Hakoda was _not_ old, he was as youthful as ever. He was a father though. He had two kids, and so maybe his social life had suffered a bit. Okay fine, less of a maybe, more of a definite, but so what? Katara was finally old enough that he figured she would manage it if he started dating again, Sokka was fine with it, and finally… Hakoda was ready.

He also had no fucking clue what he was doing, but that was beside the point entirely. He had figured one of those apps that he caught Jet on all the time would be a good start- The one with the flame, _Tinder_ if he remembered correctly, but apparently he was too ‘old’ for that. 

He’d made the mistake of leaving his phone unlocked when he was rolling up his sleeves so he could get started on the brakes. A simple job, it would be half an hour at best, but as soon as he’d gotten on the creeper, Haru had let out a delighted gasp, followed by a laugh, no, a cackle that only spelled trouble for Hakoda. 

“Old man!” His immediate response of ‘don’t call me that’ was ignored as the kid kept talking, the delight making him spare no time in laying down and rolling under the car. “You got a fucking Tinder?”

Why was he so loud? And why was suddenly every guy in the shop talking at once, flocking to Haru and what he knew was his phone? 

“Oh my god,” Jet said. “You seriously did it. Is that why you asked me to help you choose pictures?” Jet’s job was becoming less secure by the second as Hakoda scrambled blindly for tools, unwilling to roll out and face the four judging faces, so he appreciated the fact that the wrench was kicked into his hand. 

Small blessings.

“Jet, _you_ chose these pictures?” Shut up, June. Hakoda liked the pictures he chose. Jet made a noise of disagreement and Hakoda felt slightly betrayed. After all, Jet had liked the picture where Sokka was on his shoulders, and Katara was on his hip. It looked nice, dammit, and it may have made Hakoda look strong. 

Not that he wanted or needed to look strong, he just- He didn’t know what he needed to look like actually. God, what was he even doing?

“Is that a fish?”

“Can we put down my phone?” Dad voice activated. “It’s generally considered rude to snoop through your bosses phone.”

Wow, that didn’t work, because half a second later his poorly written bio was being read back to him, and Hakoda could just about die in that moment. Or fire everyone. Both options were up in the air. 

“Single father of two,” June was so smug, and her boot-clad foot nudged his leg to make sure he was listening. “Who is trying to get back into the dating scene after six years-” 

Hakoda forcefully tuned her out, crossing his legs and pulling them under the car so they couldn’t see him anymore. Why did he put up with this? He was a grown-ass man, he didn’t need to get laughed at by a bunch of twenty-somethings about his attempt to get out there. What else was he going to do? Go and hide out at bars, hoping that he’d meet someone? He didn’t have time for that, he had kids, and a mother, and a business to run and care for- There was no time to waste just hoping to meet someone. 

Online dating had made the most sense, but if the laughter was any indication, he should really just delete the damn app. 

“Oh, this guy’s cute!” Hakoda hit his head on the bumper in his haste to get out from under the car, holding a hand out expectantly for the phone. They were absolutely _not_ going to sit around and swipe through his tinder while he got covered in dirt and grime. Forgive him, but he’d seen the kind of people these disasters were attracted to and Hakoda wanted nothing to do with that crowd. 

The phone was in his hands in seconds. 

“Have you guys ever heard of working, or is that just a me thing- _Oh_.”

They were right. This guy was cute. He was more than cute actually, he was just… An incredibly attractive man. It felt wrong to say he was hot, the regal lines of his face demanding too much respect to just get away with being reduced down to a three letter word. 

He was smiling softly at the camera, and whoever had taken the picture deserved recognition, because this man’s hair managed to look like fine silk, and he could see the small spark of mirth in those blue eyes. A quick glance at his name, a tap to reveal his bio-

Bato. 

6’6. 

Okay. Damn. 

Hakoda could work with that. 

He was a single father too, it seemed, two kids. They looked like cute kids, and Hakoda couldn’t get over how at ease the man looked, and his final picture was of the man sitting on the edge of a boat, pants rolled up to his knees and shirt open- Yeah, okay. 

Hakoda could most definitely work with this. 

A small satisfied huff made him realize he was still being inspected by four demons, and he immediately turns a soft glare onto them as he swiped right, not looking at the screen to notice that it said matched before he was telling them off. 

“I mean it! I’m your boss, get to work! I don’t pay you to judge my social life-” Jet opened his mouth. “Or lack of!” 

They dispersed pretty easily because as much as Hakoda didn’t want to admit it, they all knew who had won this battle. Hakoda let himself relax though, falling back against the padded creeper, his back aching as he did. 

This would be a great time for a nap, but it didn’t seem to be in the cards today. A cough drew his attention, and Hakoda found himself hitting his head _yet again_ as he sprang up. This had to be the owner of the car he was under, he remembered hearing from Song that the man had needed the car done as soon as possible, he had kids- Hakoda understood, so he took it on himself. He’d been there, and the car really did just need brakes, maybe an oil change, nothing that would take too long. 

He hadn’t been expecting to turn around to just see someone’s legs, and when he looked up- Hakoda definitely hadn’t been ready to see the same regal face and sparkling blue eyes he’d been admiring only a minute ago staring down at him. 

Fuck.

“Am I too early?” Holy shit, this man’s voice was deep, and raspy, and _wow_. Just wow. “I can always just wait outside, I just got free at home so I figured I’d see if it was done.”

“I should have it done in about half an hour.” The words came easily because he knew how long this would take, luckily, because he had absolutely no idea what would have come out of his mouth if he'd tried to say anything else. What is a normal way to talk to a man who you just admired on a dating app?

Easy. Don't. 

But he had to because the man was talking to him and he was a customer. 

"If you want you can sit over there," He gestured to a chair by a cluttered workbench. "I don't have much of an office, but you can wait in here, it's a little cooler." 

Hakoda was suddenly very aware of the dirt underneath his fingernails and the amount of grease stains on his shirt. He looked like a mess, and normally that was fine! He was a mess, his job was messy and that's what he loved about it. Except he could see Bato's eyes sweep over him, and it was terribly uncomfortable.

He didn't want to say the attention made him want to both preen and curl in on himself, so kept that to himself. He kept the pride he felt to himself when the man smiled, his eyes lingering as he went to go sit down. 

If only he couldn't hear Jet and Haru whispering to each other.

~

He hadn’t been entirely sure when or how he had gotten to the bar, yet here he was.

When Hakoda had gotten home from work the house was silent. He didn't know what to do with the silence, he wasn't sure what to do with himself in the absence of noise, of the absence of his children. They were safe, he knew that, but the house was always loud, the sound of them doing _something_ , be it playing or screaming at each other. Something. 

Tonight, his mother had the kids. Kanna had spent enough time griping at him about them coming for a visit, so he’d caved. It was a three day weekend for the two, so early this morning he’d wrangled them up along with some clothes and stuffed them into the car, driving the hour away to drop them off at her house for the weekend. 

They had been excited to go, and theoretically Hakoda had been excited for some peace and quiet. 

He’d forgotten just how unsettling the house got when it was quiet. 

He’d forgotten just how much his heart began to hurt when he was alone there. 

So he’d showered. And he’d dried his hair, put on laundry, did dishes- He even got dressed again, and not into pajamas. The more he did the longer he could ignore the silence. He did run out of things to do though. 

Damn him for actually being on top of things for once in his life. The one time he wants a distraction he’s gone and done everything. 

So he’d been out of options, and after about ten minutes of sitting on his couch, missing out on his son excitedly telling him about his day, and Katara telling on Sokka for doing something or other, he caved. 

He was on the road, and before he could really think about what he was doing, he was sitting at the bar, a gin and tonic in front of him. It was still lonely, but at least here he was able to relax for a bit, fade into the background, let the noise bleed into his head until he didn’t think about just when his life had gotten so boring. 

He was sitting at the bar, alone, on a Friday night. It would be less humiliating if he were surrounded by an older crowd, but these were all kids, basically- Twenties, nearly none of them looking remotely close to their thirties. There were plenty of couples, and maybe that’s what did it. 

He pulled out his phone, ignoring the fact that his battery was dying and he should probably make sure it doesn’t die, on the off chance that Kanna calls with an issue. She wouldn’t, the devils never gave her any kind of issues, but still just in case…

Nope, his thumb tapped the small red icon, and he was faced with a picture of some random guy, looking into the camera with an obviously fake smile. No. He didn’t have anything against the guy, he wasn’t ugly, but… He looked so plain. There was nothing that drew Hakoda in, no really distinguishable features that piqued his interest. 

As he went, the minutes passing by he had swiped right on a fair few women, and maybe two men- It was odd though. This whole thing felt so hollow, and part of him understood why so many people stayed single after they’d been widowed. The dating scene had changed so much since he’d been 14 and met Kya, it was practically something entirely new, the only familiar part being the name. 

He let out a sign and he was about to give up, having finished his drink, he figured it would probably be best if he were to quit while he was ahead, and just go home, but his phone vibrated in his hand. 

He had a message. Looking at his chats, it was from the man from earlier. Hakoda swallowed. Bato. 

‘ _Is there any chance you are sitting at Yagoda’s, or is there another insanely handsome man sitting at the bar looking this phone?_ ’

Holy shit, what? Hakoda didn’t hesitate to turn around and he felt his jaw drop slightly. What the hell? How long had he been there while Hakoda had been wrapped up in his self-pity? That didn’t matter it seems, because the man was standing up, abandoning the small table he’d been sitting at to stand next to Hakoda. 

He had changed his clothes from earlier. He looked like he had just gotten out of work before, wearing what had looked like heavy jeans and a long black shirt but… He cleaned up nice, it seemed. It wasn’t much really, but his easy stature exuded confidence, and his long blue flannel fell down his body nicely, a few buttons undone- 

“What are you doing here?” He didn’t think Bato would follow him. No, for anyone to do that Hakoda’s life would have to be a hell of a lot more interesting.

“I think just about the same thing you’re doing.” The tall man easily slid into the barstool, holding a beer and smiling softly. “Sitting around lamenting the couples… Am I wrong?” He waited a few moments to ask, and Hakoda only justhesitated before signaling to the bartender that he needed another drink.

“You might be onto something.”Hakoda could joke around, this was just friendly. At least, it seemed friendly, even if Bato’s eyes made his stomach twist, heat pooling as their knees bumped, the man’s long legs hitting his own easily. 

His eyes lingered on the bottle in Bato’s hand, and he couldn't help but be drawn in by those long fingers. They looked thin but rough, calloused enough that they looked familiar to Hakoda, so similar to his own, but they held a certain softness in the way he held the bottle, strength shining through as it was raised to those lips- Those dark lips, that looked well worried but also so soft...

He was staring, and Bato was smiling at him, far wider than before. 

~

Hakoda woke up aware of 3 things. 

He was naked. 

That was easy to figure out before he even opened his eyes. The sheets were soft and comfortable, but they were most definitely against his skin and not any kind of underwear. Which would be fine usually, except for the next two points. 

He wasn’t in his bed. 

These sheets were not his own. He slept with just a comforter, and then one of the old blankets his mother had insisted on sending him off to live on his own with. The blanket was ancient but heavy, and distinctly nothing like the warm material that was currently wrapped around his shoulders. It wasn’t bad, and if he were less confused he would probably be enjoying it because it really was comfortable. 

He was not alone. 

There was an arm around his waist and he didn’t know what to do with it. He had yet to open his eyes, in the very first stages of waking up, he barely even knew his own name, let alone anything that may have happened the night before. But there was a strong arm laying across his back, and Hakoda wouldn’t deny just how comfortable it was.

This whole thing was so comfortable that he didn’t know what to do with himself, as he opened his eyes, and as they opened he remembered the night before with a small intake of breath. 

Shit. Was it okay that he had slept over? They really hadn’t talked much before they fell asleep, was he supposed to be gone already? 

What the hell was the standard for this type of thing? 

Part of him was screaming at him to just sneak out from under the arm and get dressed then hope he never saw the man again. That was out of pure embarrassment though, and a larger part of him didn’t want to move. That part wanted to stay right where he was, and then when the man woke up, maybe ask him out to breakfast, get to know each other. 

Maybe. He didn’t know what he was doing right now, so he would play it by ear. 

That had been the plan for about a minute, and it was going well as he closed his eyes again, daring to move just a little closer to the other man, whos arm tightened in his sleep. It was warm, comfortable, safe- He felt completely relaxed, and the world was quiet. 

Then, Hakoda heard a door open and close. Rather loudly, as a matter of fact, loud enough to wake up Bato, who’s whole body tensed. He could hear feet, loud and sure steps stomping through the house, and with a dawning sense of horror, Hakoda knew they were coming straight to the bedroom. Well, shit. 

He had about five seconds for his hands to flail out and tug all of the blankets up as high as they would go as Bato rolled over. He barely had time to sit up, rubbing the disorientation out of his eyes before the door burst open. 

Such a shame, he really did look cute when he was waking up. 

No time to focus on that, however, because there was a small child currently launching herself onto the bed, landing dead center between the two of them. The other man’s long arms were immediately reaching out and pulling the little girl close, even as she tried to squirm out of his arms. 

“I want pancakes!" Her hair was up in two small buns, but she had long bangs, dark hair blocking out her eyes completely. Hakoda wanted to trim it, he would if it was his daughter, but maybe she was shy. Hakoda barely shifted before she froze, pointing at him. 

"Why are you in my dad's bed?" Hakoda really didn't miss when Katara had acted like this, even if she had never been quite as loud with her questions. "You don't live here." 

"Toph." Bato's voice held a warning that made the little girl huff, crossing her arms. "Where's Duke?" 

"Still with Mr G." A small foot kicked out in Hakoda's direction. "He said he'd bring him inside in a few minutes." 

Bato sighed, before hefting her up and placing her on the ground. "Go tell him I'll be out in a minute."

"But-" 

"Now, young lady." 

An exaggerated groan later and with plenty of stomping of her feet, the girl was gone, leaving the door wide open as the two men sat in silence, Bato looking only mildly humiliated. 

"So…" Hakoda didn't do silence well. "She's got one hell of a personality." 

The joke seemed to land, as Bato shook his head, smiling. "Oh, you have no idea. She's got an opinion on everything. Just turned six." 

Explains a lot. 

"Mine was the same way. My son too."

God, he was so old. Such a dad too, he was sitting naked in a man's bed as they talked about their kids. 

Oh yeah. He was naked. 

It seemed like Bato had just come to the same realization, as the man's hand gripped the blanket, his forearm flexing as he laughed, just a bit awkward, but still a pleasant sound. 

"So…" Hakoda raised an eyebrow as the man grinned at him. "This is a bit out of order, but would you like to join me for breakfast? I think my friend can watch the kids for a bit longer." 

Breakfast. That was a meal and that… would be a date. 

"I think that would be nice." 

It would be okay.


End file.
